Lotus Rice with Mixed Greens and Braised Catfish

Name: Lotus Rice with Mixed Greens and Braised Catfish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: White rice (use enough for your family); 3.5 oz lotus seeds, hearts removed (about 100 g); 1 catfish; 3.5 oz pork belly, fatty (about 100 g); 3.5 oz pickled mustard greens (about 100 g); 2 tomatoes; 1 little celery; Fish sauce, sugar, chili sauce, black pepper, chili peppers, scallion whites; Mixed greens: water spinach, bitter herbs, sweet potato leaves, winged beans, squash blossoms, etc. (use whatever is available)

Cơm gia đình @cook_13712992

My family loves my braised catfish because it’s not fishy, the flavors soak in, and it smells amazing.

Cơm gia đình @cook_13712992

My family loves my braised catfish because it’s not fishy, the flavors soak in, and it smells amazing.

Saved

Ingredients

White rice (use enough for your family)
3.5 ozlotus seeds, hearts removed (about 100 g)
1catfish
3.5 ozpork belly, fatty (about 100 g)
3.5 ozpickled mustard greens (about 100 g)
2tomatoes
1little celery
Fish sauce, sugar, chili sauce, black pepper, chili peppers, scallion whites
Mixed greens: water spinach, bitter herbs, sweet potato leaves, winged beans, squash blossoms, etc. (use whatever is available)

Saved

Steps

1

To cook the rice: Rinse the rice well, add the lotus seeds, and cook as you normally would.
2

For the braised catfish: Clean the catfish, rinse with salt water, and pat dry. Slice the pork belly thinly, toss with a little sugar to make it glossy, then sauté in a pan to render some fat. Remove the pork. Add 2 teaspoons sugar to the pork fat in the pan; when it turns caramel brown, add 5 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon chili sauce, and 2 tablespoons sugar (adjust sugar to taste depending on the saltiness of your fish sauce). Stir until the sugar dissolves, then remove from heat and let cool.
3

Pound the scallion whites and marinate the catfish with them and the caramel fish sauce for at least 30 minutes. Braise the fish over high heat until it boils, add the pork belly, then lower the heat. Add chili or black pepper and simmer until the flavors soak in and the sauce thickens. Add 1 tablespoon rendered pork fat or cooking oil at the end.
4

Wash and pick the greens. Bring a pot of water to a boil with a little salt. Add the greens and cook until just tender, then drain. For bright green veggies, soak them in ice water after boiling.
5

For the pork rib and pickled mustard green soup: Rinse the ribs with salt and briefly blanch in hot water to remove odors. Cut the pickled mustard greens, celery, and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. In a pot, sauté shallots and scallion whites until fragrant, add 1/5 of the tomatoes and stir to bring out the color, then add the ribs and stir-fry together. Add hot water and cook until the ribs are tender. Add the pickled mustard greens and the rest of the tomatoes, season to taste, and add celery just before serving. Serve with fish sauce on the side.
6

That’s your meal done! Enjoy.